Go Greener Tips

(CBS) You can have an eco-friendly Easter without too much trouble.

On The Early Show Friday, contributor and environmental lifestyle guru Danny Seo outlined simple, fun ways to turn the holiday green.

(CBS) You can have an eco-friendly Easter without too much trouble.

On The Early Show Friday, contributor and environmental lifestyle guru Danny Seo outlined simple, fun ways to turn the holiday green.

E EASTER EGGS WITH NATURAL INGREDIENTS

Boil water and add red cabbage, turmeric, and coffee beans to dye those eggs — naturally!

THE EASTER BASKET

Start by raiding your attic, closets and basement for inexpensive wicker baskets with handles. Many baskets can also be found at stores such as Goodwill for very little money. Then “de-petal” old silk flowers — gluing just the petals to the front of the baskets. Another option: Take a sturdy shopping bag and make it into an instant basket. All you have to do is cut off a left and right corner and tape the remaining connecting strip together as a handle.

ECO-FRIENDLY BASKET FILL

Natural materials are best. If you can’t get fresh hay or woodland moss, think office paper. Shred colorful office paper into fine pieces using an office shredder and add two or three perfume advertisements to gently “scent” the light, papery nest. Use it to pad baskets.

For inside fill, stock up on yummy organic chocolates, lollipops and other treats. While they still aren’t healthy choices, since they’re full of sugar, they’re greener choices, since they use cocoa and sugar grown without pesticides, herbicides and insecticides. Add large apothecary jars and bowls filled with colorful treats. After, Easter recycle chocolate boxes to store jewelry or office supplies.

Among the companies making organic chocolate are Dagoba, whose offerings you can buy at various stores and specialty shops, and online at dagobachocolate.com, and Theo, whose products you can also purchase at various stores and specialty shops, and online at theochocolate.com.

CENTERPIECES

Decorate empty soups cans by wrapping with newspaper or pages from a large book, allowing enough paper to protrude past the edge of the can. Then use scissors to trim strips all the way down to replicate grass. Finish by decorating with stickers and filling with flowers or candy.

RECYCLED PAPER DECOR

Use the Sunday comics to trim cake stands and your Easter table. Replicate spring grass by cutting into paper or fold and cut patterns, as if you’re making a paper snowflake, to create an intricate effect. Make rabbit cutouts and put them together with string to make banners.

PROJECT WITH MARSHMALLOW PEEPS

Pick up a pot or tray of wheatgrass from the health food store and poke long bamboo skewers in it. Skewer marshmallow Peeps on top, and display.

GIFTS FOR GROWNUPS AND KIDS!

For grownups, recycle empty Altoid tins and fill them with hay or moss from the yard. Fill each Altoid tin with “sweet” gift cards. You can also put jellybeans in the Altoid boxes for a sweet treat!
Boil water and add red cabbage, turmeric, and coffee beans to dye those eggs — naturally!

THE EASTER BASKET

Start by raiding your attic, closets and basement for inexpensive wicker baskets with handles. Many baskets can also be found at stores such as Goodwill for very little money. Then “de-petal” old silk flowers — gluing just the petals to the front of the baskets. Another option: Take a sturdy shopping bag and make it into an instant basket. All you have to do is cut off a left and right corner and tape the remaining connecting strip together as a handle.

ECO-FRIENDLY BASKET FILL

Natural materials are best. If you can’t get fresh hay or woodland moss, think office paper. Shred colorful office paper into fine pieces using an office shredder and add two or three perfume advertisements to gently “scent” the light, papery nest. Use it to pad baskets.

For inside fill, stock up on yummy organic chocolates, lollipops and other treats. While they still aren’t healthy choices, since they’re full of sugar, they’re greener choices, since they use cocoa and sugar grown without pesticides, herbicides and insecticides. Add large apothecary jars and bowls filled with colorful treats. After, Easter recycle chocolate boxes to store jewelry or office supplies.

Among the companies making organic chocolate are Dagoba, whose offerings you can buy at various stores and specialty shops, and online at dagobachocolate.com, and Theo, whose products you can also purchase at various stores and specialty shops, and online at theochocolate.com.

CENTERPIECES

Decorate empty soups cans by wrapping with newspaper or pages from a large book, allowing enough paper to protrude past the edge of the can. Then use scissors to trim strips all the way down to replicate grass. Finish by decorating with stickers and filling with flowers or candy.

RECYCLED PAPER DECOR

Use the Sunday comics to trim cake stands and your Easter table. Replicate spring grass by cutting into paper or fold and cut patterns, as if you’re making a paper snowflake, to create an intricate effect. Make rabbit cutouts and put them together with string to make banners.

PROJECT WITH MARSHMALLOW PEEPS

Pick up a pot or tray of wheatgrass from the health food store and poke long bamboo skewers in it. Skewer marshmallow Peeps on top, and display.

GIFTS FOR GROWNUPS AND KIDS!

For grownups, recycle empty Altoid tins and fill them with hay or moss from the yard. Fill each Altoid tin with “sweet” gift cards. You can also put jellybeans in the Altoid boxes for a sweet treat!

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It is true. You may have heard it and not believed it, but you can build a wind generator on your own. Even better is the large amounts of money you can save when you build a wind generator instead of purchasing one from a wholesaler or retailer. It is easy to build a wind generator with the plans and instructions available. By utilizing used auto parts, odds and ends and general supplies from your local hardware store, you can build a wind generator in no time.

You may be wondering why you should build a wind generator when you can just purchase one, but commercial wind generators cost in the thousands to buy. The materials needed to build a wind generator, the DC motor, batteries, towers and hub, are fairly inexpensive. It is possible to build a wind generator for under $500 and that means realizing the return on your investment years before you would have buying a professionally installed commercial model. Even if you invest in better quality materials when you build a wind generator, you will still find your total cost way below that of the professional installation.

Electric power generated by wind is one of the most efficient renewable power resources available. Many cities worldwide have started to convert to wind power to supplement their energy supply. It is possible to have a green energy supply by taking the time to build a wind generator. Not only are you helping the environment, but also you can save money at the same time.

It is not difficult to build a wind generator. The average do-it-yourselfer can complete this project with simple tools. There are detailed instructions and plans available to build a wind generator in your workshop or home. So build your wind generator today and put it on your roof or support pole and start generating your free power, thanks to a little breeze.